Improvement in lifting-apparatus



nite-hiaten atmtt @High FRANK lW. REILLY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR Tol IIIMSELF, GEORGE F. ROOT, v

EBENEZER T. ROOT,'AND CHAUNCEY M. CADEY, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters `Patent No. 76,944, dated April 21, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIFTING-APPARATUS.

TO ALL WEOM 'IT MAY CONOERN Be it known thatI, FRANKy W. REILLY, ofthe city of Chicago, in the countyof Cook, and State of Illinois,

have invented new and useful Improvements iu Weight-Lifting Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the 'following is a full and exact description thereof, refererice being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- -Figure'l represents the front view, and

Figure 2 the side view of the apparatus.

Figure 3 the plan of the weight, and

Figure 4 the plan ofthe spider.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures denote similar parte of the machine.

My invention consists of an improved form of apparatus designed to facilitate thepractice ofliftin'g weights, either as a gymnastic exercise or asa curative agency in the treatment 'of disease; and to make it clearly understood, I shall rst proceed to,describe the common contrivance heretofore in use in gymnasiums and elsewhere, designed for the same purpose, and shall then point 4out the nature of my improvements. I

The apparatus heretofore in use lembraces a table or platform, four feet or so in height, and about three feet square, in the centre of which is a strong iron` rod, terminating in an eye at its upper extremity, and passingvthroughthe table to a point near the floor, where its lower end is rmly-secured to a horizontal disk. l

In lifting by this apparatus, after'the desired amount of weight is deposited upon the disk, a'ho'rizontal bar is slipped through the eye of the rod, and thepatient stands upon the platform or table, astride this bar, as

v it were, the ends of which he grasps in his hands, the height of the bar above the table having been previously so adjusted as to compel the patient to stoop slightly in grasping it, which he does by bending .the knees while holding his body erect. Having taken a firm hold of the crossbar with his hands, the patient straightens his legs, and so raises the cross-bar, rod, disk, and the weights piled thereon.

y There have been various modications in the construction of this kindoflifting-apparatus, forsome of which patents have been heretofore granted by the United States Patent Olhce to D. P. Butler; Abut Mr. Butler's apparatns,'lke that of his predecessors, contains the general feature of a Central. 'rod projecting vertically above the platform, and involves the use of a. horizontal bar,`which the patient must bestride in the act of lift.n ingfth'ereby assuming a position more .or less inconvenient to all, and especiallv awkward and unpleasant inthe case of ladies.

The object of my improvement is te avoid the necessity of assuming this disagreeable position while lifting, and also to enable the patent to lift in'a greater variety of positions, as, for example, with the hands hanging down at the sides of the body in the most natural way.

I accomplish this result by having two vertical rods provided with suitable handles,-projeccting above the table, and connected with the necessary mechanism beneath the table for carrying the weights used, so that the centre of the table is without obstruction, and the patient can stand ,between the two rods, and having grasped the handles, can lift with the hands at the sides-ot` the body, or can turn partly around, so as to lift with one hand in front andthe-other behind the body. I

' My apparatus consists of a. substantial table, A, the legs of which are secured to a platform, B, which rests upon the iloor. A smaller platform, C, rests upon springs D D, and is located in themiddle of the platform B, and sustains, when the apparatus is not in use, the disk S, which is secured to the lower part ofthe vertical rod E, and serves to carry theweights which may be deposited upon it. -The rod E terminates at its lower end :ln a conical point, F, which passes through corresponding openings in the platforms-C and I3, and is thereby guided to its proper position when the weights are being lowered.

If found necessary, the upper end of the rod E may be made t project a few inches above the cross-bar F,

and-be provided with a guide attached to therunder side of the table, as will be readily understood bythe expert Y mechanic. The cross-bar is pinned in* the middle to the rod E, and attached at its extremities to the'liftingrods R R, which project through slotted openings a a in the table. I

It is my design to make this cross-bar, F, suiiicently long to permit ot' -thc largest-sized person standing between the lifting-rods R R, which areV pinned to the forked ends ff, and I have contemplated making a series of holes in these forked ends, so that the lifting-rods may be adjusted at diiferent distances apart if desired, by altering the positionfcf the pins g v In practice, it is necessary toadjns't the height of the handles N N with respect to the table, and this may be accomplished either byA amovable` platform screwed into the` table, and operating like the seat of a panostool, or by making the rods R R'adjustable as to length, which is the mode I have adopted'.4

'lhe lifting-rod R may be made invone piece, and have a thread cut on the lower partant it, so thatit will 'screw into a swivel-nut secured in the fork of the cross-bar, or in two pieces or length'sgbne 'partially tubular and the other solid, so that they may be attached to each other by means of a male and female screw. This latter form of construction isshown in ig. 1, where H is a sleeve,I provided with a female thread for receiving the male thread on the upper part of the bar G.V p l l I construct the handleframes K in such a manner that the handles may be taken o'ut and others substituted, if desired. v l t This may be done either by vmaking the bowsK` of steel, so that they can be sprung'open suicient-l'y to let the handles N be removed, or by making them in two parts, and halving the lower endsof each part together,

and cutting a thread thereon, so that they can b e screwed into a sleeve or nut, as shown at z.

It will be understood that the inside ot' cach arm of the bars K is slotted or eountersunk to receive the ends of the handles N, as shownat m.

It 'is necessary to change the handles N to accommodate hands of diiferent sizes, and the experienced mechanic will readilysee various modesof construction by which that object can be attained, besides those already mentioned. v

y The weights W W are provided with a slot to accommodate the rod E, and are charnferedon the edges for the purpose of vallowing the fingers' to more easily seize and liftvoraemove them,

The operation of my apparatus is substantially similar to that heretoforevused. rlhe handles having been adjusted to theproper height above the table, the patient grasps them, and then stands erect, raisingthe Weights which have been deposited upon the disk.

What I claim as my own invention, and 'desire to secure by 'Letters Patent,is

A lifting-apparatus, constructed substantially as described, consisting oi' two adjustablevertcal rods, projecting above a table on which the patient stands, connectedA with suitable mechanism beneath' the table for carrying the weights used.

FRANK W. REILLY.

Witnesses:

J. B. TUncrnN,

J. M. GUTLER. 

